Dust and Ashes by Eliécer Cárdenas at the closing of the week of Contemporary Ecuadorian Narrative

On January 30, the University of Azuay and its publishing house, as part of the Week of Contemporary Ecuadorian Narrative, presented the book "Dust and Ashes" by writer Eliécer Cárdenas. This event was aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The event was attended by authorities, teachers, administrative staff and students from our university community as well as students and teachers from the La Asunción Educational Unit and the general public.

Dust and Ashes is the story of a man torn in two. Of a bandit pursued by the law and, at the same time, a symbol of justice for the forgotten. Today, that story returns transformed: adapted for young readers, accompanied by illustrations that don't merely embellish, but rather interpret and enhance the narrative.

Eliécer Cárdenas was a novelist, short story writer, journalist, and playwright. Author of more than twenty novels, his work profoundly influenced contemporary Ecuadorian narrative. Dust and Ashes, written in 1977 and winner of the First Prize for Novel from the House of Culture in 1978, became one of the most widely read, discussed, and beloved novels in our country.

The meeting began with words from Francisco Salgado, rector of the University of Azuay, who mentioned that “it is very exciting to be here today, because Eliécer Cárdenas was a very close friend of the University of Azuay and also of mine personally,” he also emphasized “all that power that literature has to imagine, to create in all worlds, that is the wonder of literature that can be captured in an immortal work such as Dust and Ashes.” 

The university's top official highlighted the importance of this work: "It's an adaptation by Gloria Riera with beautiful illustrations, as always, by Diego Larriva, which we want to reach young people, so they can see these images. I think this should be the Marvel of Cuenca, the Marvel of Ecuador," he said enthusiastically. 

Following this, a discussion was held about the work and in honor of its author, featuring his daughter, Berenice Cárdenas, an art historian and expert in colonial iconography and Andean crafts; Cristóbal Zapata, poet, narrator, literary and art critic, curator, editor, and cultural manager, and honorary professor at the University of Azuay; Gloria Riera Rodríguez, responsible for the adaptation and a PhD in Spanish Language, who has won the Zoila Aurora Palacios Prize and the Benigno Malo Prize for academic merit; and Diego Larriva Calle, responsible for the book's visual design, a PhD in Design, professor and researcher at the University of Azuay, and an illustrator and designer with extensive experience in publishing projects, visual storytelling, and illustration applied to educational and cultural contexts. 

This concludes the Week of Contemporary Ecuadorian Narrative, with the presentation of this work by Eliécer Cárdenas, adapted by Gloria Riera, Dust and Ashes.  

View the full gallery here

Download the book here